The Weekly Word - A Devotion for the Week of August 3
“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. They leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.” (Jeremiah 17: 7-8)
After Mother Teresa died and her private letters were published, many around the world were stunned to discover that she had wrestled for many years with deep doubt. Unbeknownst to most of the world, Mother Teresa had endured long periods of spiritual drought while still caring for and impacting the poorest, most destitute people in India and inspiring millions with her unwavering selflessness and compassion.
How, in the midst of personal spiritual darkness, was Mother Teresa able to act in such great faith?
The answer to this question is revealed in the words we read from the prophet Jeremiah today: Mother Teresa trusted in God and made Him her hope and confidence. We know from her letters that she sustained that trust, hope and confidence through continual reliance on His Word – by grounding herself in Scripture and reaching her roots deeper and deeper into its living water.
Mother Teresa was not perfect – she admitted in her private letters that her doubt caused her great grief – but she persevered in faith, hope and confidence. Her leaves stayed green in the midst of drought, she never stopped producing fruit during her lifetime, and she ultimately found peace.
Dear God, I want to make You my hope and confidence; I want to trust entirely in You. Thank you for this reminder to plant myself in the rich soil of Your Word. May You sustain me in my own periods of spiritual questioning. Amen.